1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to footwear, and more particularly to an open shoe or sandal having a pneumatically inflatable arch support and/or other components.
2. Description of the Related Art
The development of at least primitive footwear (sandals, moccasins, etc.) occurred very early in human history due to the need to protect the foot from injury during the typical hunting, gathering, and nomadic existence of early humankind. This early footwear amounted to little more than a means of securing a sheet of protective material beneath the sole of the foot, and thus provided no additional arch or other support. However, people had acclimated to such lack of support due to their normal barefoot custom, and thus the lack of arch support was not critical in such early footwear.
Eventually, shoes and other footwear developed to provide greater protection and comfort for the foot, with thicker soles to prevent penetration by foreign objects, arch support, softer and more comfortable lining, etc., being developed. In addition to the above, stylistic considerations have resulted in shoes and other footwear evolving in myriad different configurations. Shoes or at least some form of footwear is expected, and in most instances required, in virtually all areas of the civilized world in the present day.
Accordingly, nearly everyone becomes accustomed to wearing shoes from their earliest years. Such shoes nearly universally provide the wearer with at least reasonably good arch support, and other benefits as well. As a result, the foot becomes accustomed to such support, and the tendon and muscle structure of the foot may lose much of its supportive ability and strength. This may not be of any great consequence so long as shoes providing the proper support are worn, but such is not always the case.
An example of this occurs when people who are used to wearing supportive shoes, begin to wear sandals during warmer weather. An extreme example is the type of sandal originally known by the Japanese term “zori” but which has become perhaps better known in the vernacular as the “flip-flop,” i.e., an inexpensive sandal having a forwardly disposed toe divider that is worn between the big toe and second toe, with left and right side straps extending over the foot and rearward to the edges of the sole. The soles of such flip-flop footwear are universally flat and provide no arch support whatsoever, as is the case with most open (sandal) footwear.
As a result, people who habitually wear such inexpensive footwear during most of the day for months at a time during the warm season may experience various problems due to the lack of arch support provided by such footwear. The lack of proper arch support often results in subconscious adjustments to the posture, with the muscular structure of the legs, hips, and lower back being unaccustomed to such changes. This can result in various muscle aches and pains, strained tendons, plantar fasciitis, and other physical problems to the feet, legs, hips, and lower back, with the problems requiring costly and time-consuming treatment to rectify.
Thus, a sandal with pneumatic support solving the aforementioned problems is desired.